She also instructed the two sides to agree on the most rancorous issue of the case so far: dates when the former Heisman Trophy winner and his accuser are to answer potentially explosive questions under oath in pretrial depositions.

Lake, a former investor in a startup marketing agency, is suing Bush and his parents, seeking repayment of almost $300,000 in cash, a vehicle and goods he said he gave to Bush and his family while Bush played at USC.

The NCAA is monitoring the case to determine if Bush and his family received improper benefits from Lake, which could jeopardize USC victories in which Bush played, plus his Heisman.

After yesterday's hearing, both sides claimed victories of sorts.

“We basically won today,” said Lake's attorney, Brian Watkins. “We got our depositions locked in. There's not an armed gunman they get to have (at the depositions) and no confidentiality agreement.”

Lewis denied a confidentiality request by Bush's attorneys that would have prevented Lake and Watkins from giving deposition transcripts to the NCAA and media.

One of four attorneys representing Bush at yesterday's hearing, David Cornwell, said he was pleased Lake was required to give his deposition first.

Lake's deposition is scheduled for June 5-6. Bush will follow June 23, then Bush's parents on June 27 and 30, respectively.

Watkins said he had potentially 20 witnesses to call at trial, including USC coach Pete Carroll and USC running backs coach Todd McNair. Asked after the hearing if he would give deposition transcripts to the NCAA, Watkins said, “They've requested it, and I've always told them we would consider it.”

Cornwell said the reason for the confidentiality request was that Lake was trying to extort money from his client by threatening to smear Bush in the media with NCAA rules violation allegations.

So far, Bush's side has not cooperated with the NCAA investigation, so any deposition transcripts of the Bush family answering questions about improper benefits would be valuable to it.

For Bush, any testimony that hurts the credibility of Lake is valuable to him. Cornwell previously had questioned whether Lake was willing to sit for a deposition. Lake was scheduled to give his deposition Jan. 7 and Feb. 12, but neither happened. The second time, Lake walked out, saying he was intimidated when Cornwell brought an armed security guard to the proceeding. Cornwell said it was precautionary because Lake is a convicted felon with gang ties.

Such acrimony frustrated Lewis. She said both sides demonstrated “sanctionable conduct.” She ordered them twice to agree to deposition dates in a conference room outside the court. Twice they came back empty. After the second time, she grew irritated and said, “I'll see you all in chambers right now.”

Then she jokingly asked a beefy man in court for another case, “Can you go back to my chambers and knock a few heads around for me?”

Another former investor in the marketing agency, Michael Michaels, reached a settlement with Bush last year. Michaels had owned the house in Spring Valley in which Bush's family lived for a year, allegedly without paying rent.